BaselWorld 2012

The Best Of BaselWorld 2012

For decades, Tudor has lived in the shadow of its behemoth parent company while quietly turning out some solid and collectible timepieces.

We asked three of the world's most respected watch experts — who also happen to be regular AskMen contributors — to share their top pick from BaselWorld 2012, a major Swiss trade show most men can only dream of attending. Here's what they had to say.

Jason Heaton's Pick: The Tudor Black Bay Diver

The Tudor brand was conceived by Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf as a more affordable line of watches that retained the high quality of The Crown’s offerings. For decades, Tudor has lived in the shadow of its behemoth parent company while quietly turning out some solid and collectible timepieces. But at BaselWorld for the past three years, Tudor has stolen the spotlight with its “Heritage” line offerings. This year was no exception, with the introduction of the Heritage Black Bay Diver.The Black Bay Diver looks like it dropped out of a time machine. With such authentic retro styling, you’d swear you found one of the brand’s 1954 Submariner models in pristine condition, with its aged gilt dial, high domed crystal and oversize crown. But a closer look reveals design cues from more recent iterations of the Tudor dive watch — the famous “snowflake” hands and bezel markings. The wine-red bezel and crown tube add a splash of color and a wink for collectors who favor vintage watches discolored by age. The Black Bay Diver is available on a beautiful aged leather strap or trademark Rolex, er… Tudor bracelet and both versions come with a military-inspired nylon strap. Despite its decidedly retro looks, and with a water-resistance rating of 200 meters and a sapphire crystal, this nod to the past is more than ready for the present.

Timothy Barber's Pick: Zenith Big Date Special

I’m a sucker for a handsome aviation watch, and last year I fell wholly for the Pilot Chronograph launched by Zenith. That watch turns out to have been a teaser for this year’s trio of charismatic aviator pieces: a world timer, a historical tribute piece that’s a whopping 58 millimeters across, and this, the Big Date Special. I’m transfixed by the font used for the numerals, and the balance of the entire design is flawless. It shares with its year-old predecessor both Zenith’s El Primero calibre — the most celebrated chronograph movement ever made — and the presence of the word “pilot” on the dial, something for which only Zenith has the copyright. Like last year’s watch, it's priced well, at around £4,650.

Robert-Jan Broer's Pick: Omega Speedmaster "First Omega in space"

Every year Omega introduces a few new variations of what is probably the most iconic chronograph ever, the Speedmaster Professional. This year during BaselWorld 2012, Omega introduced a numbered edition (not limited!) of the Speedmaster that refers to and looks like the Speedmaster pre-Professional as it was worn in 1962 for the first time in space by astronaut Walter Schirra. On October 3, 1962, he took aboard his personal watch, an Omega Speedmaster CK2998. This was actually the second model of the famous Speedmaster and had no crown-guards, an applied logo and straight lugs. The Omega Speedmaster was chosen to be the official watch for NASA missions in 1965, and that's why “Professional” designation was added to the model's name from that point on. Available from October/November 2012, it will be priced at around £2,695.